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‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [‎17r] (38/404)

The record is made up of 199 folios. It was created in 1932. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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GENERAL NAVIGATION
xxv
low water springs, and in waters where the diurnal tides are con
siderable, the level of Indian spring low water.
As, however, a very long series of tidal observations is required
before either of these levels can be definitely determined, and as the
chart datum depends, in most cases, on a few weeks' observations
on ly > the datum adopted must always be considered as approximate,
and differs, in some cases, considerably from the theoretical datum.
Where Admiralty charts are founded on the charts of other
nations, the datum is that used by the original authority. This
may be mean low water springs (Denmark, Norway, Germany,
Japan, &c.), mean low water (U.S. Atlantic coast, &c.), mean
low water (U.S. Pacific coast, Philippines, &c.), or the lowest
possible low water (France, Spain, &c.). All these datums must
be considered as approximate only.
It should be remembered that the tide may fall below datum,
except in cases where the lowest possibly low water has been used as
datum. In waters where diurnal inequality is small the lowest tides
usually occur when the moon is near perigee and near the equator at
springs, or at about the equinoxes; where diurnal inequality is
great the lowest tides usually occur when both the moon and sun
are in high declination at springs or at about the solstices. Wind
or a high barometer may also reduce the height of the tide and cause
it to fall below datum.
Caution. —From the above remarks it will be seen that the depths
shown on Admiralty charts are not always the least depths that will
be found to exist, due to the fact that the level of the chart datum
is, in most cases, above the level to which the tide may fall.
11. Arrows on charts only show the most usual or the mean
direction of a tidal stream or current. It must never be assumed
that the direction of a stream will not vary from that indicated by
the arrow. In the same manner, the rate of a stream constantly
varies with circumstances, and the rate given on the chart is merely
that found during the survey, possibly from very few observations.
12. Fixing position. —The most accurate method of fixing a
position relative to the shore is by angles between well-defined
objects on the chart. All ships are supplied with a station-pointer,
and this method should be used wherever possible.
Two things are, however, necessary to its successful employment:
First, that the objects be well chosen; and, second, that the observer
is skilful and rapid in his use of the sextant and station-pointer.
For the former, reference can be made to the pamphlet on the use
of the stat ion-pointer, or to the Admiralty Manual of Navigation;
the latter is only to be obtained by practice.
It will readily be seen that a sextant often offers great advantages,
as angles can be obtained from any position whence the objects are
visible.
In many narrow waters also, where the objects may yet be at some
distance, as in coral harbours, or narrow passages among mud banks,
navigation by sextant and stat ion-pointer is invaluable, as a true
position can only be obtained by its means. A small error in either
taking or plotting a bearing under such circumstances may put the
ship ashore.
It is not intended that the use of the compass to fix the ship should
be given up: there are many circumstances in which it may be
usefully employed, but errors more readily creep into a position so

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Content

Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. pilot comprising the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and its approaches, from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east. Published for the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty by His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1932. Eighth edition.

The pilot begins with a number of introductory sections:

  • Notice of caution when approaching British ports, including the closure of ports and examination of vessels entering ports (folio 1v, inside front cover);
  • Notations of supplements and annual summaries of notices to mariners relating to this book (folio 2);
  • Cautionary notes on the measurements, including those for (bearings, longitude, latitude, depth) given in the pilot, and the different methods of shading used to indicate colours of flags, tidal light signals and beacons in the pilot (folio 5);
  • Advertisement to the eighth edition (folio 6) providing an outline history of the pilot, and updates to the latest edition;
  • Contents page (folios 7v-8), referring to the pilot’s pagination;
  • A list of views (illustrations), with reference to the pilot’s pagination (folio 8v);
  • A glossary of terms (folio 9), organised alphabetically, and with an indication of their origin (Arabic, Baluchi, Hindustani, Persian);
  • Notes on the system of orthography (folios 10-11);
  • Information relating to Admiralty charts and other hydrographic publications and general navigation (folios 12-19), with sections on the correction of Admiralty charts, and their degree of reliance, navigational publications, including the Admiralty lists of lights and wireless signals, tide tables, and general remarks relating to practical navigation;
  • A map of the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , dated July 1932, indicating those areas covered by Admiralty charts (folio 20v);
  • A map of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Gulf of Oman, dated July 1932, with an indication of those areas covered by Admiralty charts mentioned in the pilot (folio 21v);
  • An insert (folio 22) detailing those elements not included in the present volume.

The main body of the pilot is arranged in chapters and appendices as follows:

Throughout the main chapters there are illustrations of the parts of the coastline being discussed by the accompanying text. These illustrations, which are a mix of line drawing and reproductions of watercolours, indicate the profile of the land, and highlight distinctive topographical features such as trees and forts.

Extent and format
199 folios
Arrangement

The pilot is arranged into eight chapters (I-VIII) and five appendices (I-V). The arrangement of chapters is geographical, moving from the easternmost point of the Gulf in chapter II to the westermost point in chapter VIII. The contents page (ff 7-8) and alphabetically ascending index (ff 182-93) refer to the pilot’s pagination system.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 199.

Pagination: There are two printed pagination systems, which generally situate numbers in the top-left corner of versos and the top-right corner of rectos. The first, which uses Roman numerals, runs through the pilot’s introductory pages (ff 6-19). The second pagination system uses Arabic numerals, and runs through the remainder of the pilot (ff 23-197).

The number of each chapter is indicated throughout the chapter (expressed as ‘Chap.’ and the chapter number as a Roman numeral) in the top-left corner of rectos and the top-right corner of versos. The lines of text on each page in each chapter are numbered in intervals of five (i.e. 5, 10, etc.)

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Persian Gulf pilot comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras al Hadd, in the south-west, to Cape Monze, in the east.’ [‎17r] (38/404), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C251, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023623198.0x000027> [accessed 19 February 2025]

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